Ghost towns

The shooting and exercise range on the outskirts of Oksbøl owes its current appearance to the large-scale expropriation that took place in 1967-70 and resulted in the many abandoned houses with their boarded-up doors and windows. The exercise range is currently the…

The shooting and exercise range on the outskirts of Oksbøl owes its current appearance to the large-scale expropriation that took place in 1967-70 and resulted in the many abandoned houses with their boarded-up doors and windows. The exercise range is currently the largest in Denmark, covering an area of around 6,500 hectares and extending 21 kilometres from Blåbjerg Plantage in the north to Blåvand in the south and some 10 kilometres wide. At the time, the expropriations gave rise to strong local protest, but the end result for the small local communities was that the small settlements around Vejers, Grærup, Børsmose, Kærgård, Mosevrå and Bordrup vanished from the map. Today, the former farms, smallholdings and holiday homes stand empty, giving the area its distinctive atmosphere.